The Ratings Thread (Part 44)

The BBC Sunday night news benefited from the SP12 lead in, 8.99 million is excellent for a bulletin that normally gets half this. SP12 rounds off what has been an exceptional year for BBC Sport, which featured the Euros( excellent in ratings terms even if England were awful), Murray's final at Wimbledon and then the mega ratings at the Olympics, doubt unless the Queen dies or England get into the world cup semis such ratings as 27 million will be seen for a few years.
While quite often I am a critic of the BBC, I couldn't fault their sports coverage this year and it shows why they continue to get the rights to Wimbledon and the Olympics.

The BBC Sunday night news benefited from the SP12 lead in, 8.99 million is excellent for a bulletin that normally gets half this. SP12 rounds off what has been an exceptional year for BBC Sport, which featured the Euros( excellent in ratings terms even if England were awful), Murray's final at Wimbledon and then the mega ratings at the Olympics, doubt unless the Queen dies or England get into the world cup semis such ratings as 27 million will be seen for a few years.
While quite often I am a critic of the BBC, I couldn't fault their sports coverage this year and it shows why they continue to get the rights to Wimbledon and the Olympics.

Robbie, LOL, but this will probably the next big royal event. Mind you she could hang on for another ten years.
Yet don't you think this year has been exceptional for ratings and not just for royals and olympics? We've seen CTM, which sounded on paper a rather worthy and low rating period drama, suddenly creep up on DOI and beat it by 3 million. Also we've seen the ratings decline of TXF accelerate and David Jason score his first flop in years. On a lighter note, MBB has been a massive comedy hit, with 8 million at times, IAC continues to defy wisdom that it's old hat and 40 year old Dad's Army repeats prove over 2 million people like old comedy in peak time.

Just had a look at the DOI line-up and it's really strong, IMO. I'd usually thought of it as having one of the weaker line ups among celeb reality series. They've covered all the bases with that group and the only one I hadn't heard of was the guy from Eastenders who will presumably be quite famous to 8 or 9m people. They are going to need it though. The ratings have tailed off in the past couple of years - didn't it beat X Factor and Strictly in terms of series average way back when it began?

I said then that SCD could well get top overnight. Downton will win overall though,again.

Strictly is one that can't be ruled out. Lesser competition this year so could be a surprise winner. Still think ronant has EastEnders too high and Midwife too low. Just feel CTM will get over 10m on the day.

Do you notice which programme had the second lowest share of all the programmes posted here? The X Factor Results on ITV1 in the afternoon. (2.8%). Hardly surprising. Who's going to sit through two hours of filler to see a result that everybody's known for a week?

Do you notice which programme had the lowest share of all the programmes posted here? Peep Show (2.7%) Forshame.

Just had a look at the DOI line-up and it's really strong, IMO. They've covered all the bases with that group and the only one I hadn't heard of was the guy from Eastenders who will presumably be quite famous to 8 or 9m people. They are going to need it though. The ratings have tailed off in the past couple of years - didn't it beat X Factor and Strictly in terms of series average way back when it began?

£20 on Call the Midwife - £170 up if it wins.
£5 on Downton Abbey - break even if it wins.
£5 on Strictly - £100 up if it wins.

If EastEnders or something else tops the ratings i've lost £30.
Will make Boxing Day morning a bit more interesting anyway...

Put a bit of money on the Christmas TV ratings too.

Put £10 on Call The Midwife, I'll get £150 back and put £10 on Strictly, I'd get £260 back. Strictly has had a huge year and with only 3 days after the final and up against a very weak programme, I think it could do really well this year!

£20 on Call the Midwife - £170 up if it wins.
£5 on Downton Abbey - break even if it wins.
£5 on Strictly - £100 up if it wins.

If EastEnders or something else tops the ratings i've lost £30.
Will make Boxing Day morning a bit more interesting anyway...

Although I laughed and laughed at the ITV News, if.Corrie/Downton viewers treat it as an extended ad break it could get a strong number. Don't forget the biggest Christmas Day peak last year was on ITV as Corrie finished.

If that happens again, the news might not just top ITV's figures, but top the lot.

That's a crazy price from William Hill for Midwife. There's a good chance it could win. Will they pay out on overnights or BARB officials?

They're going off officials I think, that's what they said when I contacted them. It's the reason I didn't bet myself, because I can see Downton beating Call the Midwife/Strictly with timeshift, even if one of the latter two win in the overnights.

They're going off officials I think, that's what they said when I contacted them. It's the reason I didn't bet myself, because I can see Downton beating Call the Midwife/Strictly with timeshift, even if one of the latter two win in the overnights.

Interesting as I think they paid out on overnights last year and screwed themselves over. However I think Call The Midwife will win in the final ratings as well and be over 12m.

One show we haven't much discussed is The Snowman and Snowdog. It has been getting lots of preview space and brilliant write ups in the quality papers. And I noticed today its got pride of place on the front of the festive RT!

When did a non BBC show ever feature on the front of the Christmas RT?

I can only think of a handful of BBC ones that have to be fair.

Anyway, I think it could produce the ratings shock of the festive season, even against Corrie and Merlin. Could it get 7m? 8m?

10m?

Look at Wallace and Gromit 4 years ago - 14.4m on the night, 16.2m official (24m inc +1*)

One show we haven't much discussed is The Snowman and Snowdog. It has been getting lots of preview space and brilliant write ups in the quality papers. And I noticed today its got pride of place on the front of the festive RT!

When did a non BBC show ever feature on the front of the Christmas RT?

I can only think of a handful of BBC ones that have to be fair.

Anyway, I think it could produce the ratings shock of the festive season, even against Corrie and Merlin. Could it get 7m? 8m?

10m?

Look at Wallace and Gromit 4 years ago - 14.4m on the night, 16.2m official (24m inc +1*)

(* plus 1 week, that is... )

It's actually the very first time a non BBC show has been on the cover of the Christmas Radio Times. Not owned by the BBC anymore either.

It's actually the very first time a non BBC show has been on the cover of the Christmas Radio Times. Not owned by the BBC anymore either.

Another reason for me not bothering with one this year then.

The Christmas RT plays a key role in promoting the BBC festive schedule, if it's no longer doing so, and it's putting C4 cartoons on the front, I shudder to think what other horrors I might find inside...

The Christmas RT plays a key role in promoting the BBC festive schedule, if it's no longer doing so, and it's putting C4 cartoons on the front, I shudder to think what other horrors I might find inside...

Do you notice which programme had the second lowest share of all the programmes posted here? The X Factor Results on ITV1 in the afternoon. (2.8%). Hardly surprising. Who's going to sit through two hours of filler to see a result that everybody's known for a week?

Do you notice which programme had the lowest share of all the programmes posted here? Peep Show (2.7%) Forshame.

Wonder who actually sits through the Best and Worst shows by the time they've been repeated for the xth time on New Years Day. People just aren't interested once the credits roll with TXF.

Nobody ever does, but it still pulls 10/11m without anyone batting an eyelid.

One show I worry about is Mrs Brown. The Eve episode is well trailed but will people realise Boxing Day is the second part not a repeat? Ditto on New Years Day for the new series?

Does anybody think The Royle Family will do well against Downton Abbey?

I think people will know to tune in on Boxing Day as Miranda is being promoted. So at the end of MBB they'll say it's back on Boxing Day and on Boxing Day it'll be mentioned before Miranda. After all, earlier this year viewers followed MBB to Saturday for the finale,

The Christmas RT plays a key role in promoting the BBC festive schedule, if it's no longer doing so, and it's putting C4 cartoons on the front, I shudder to think what other horrors I might find inside...

Heh, of course as mentioned barely any actual shows get on the cover of the Christmas Radio Times. The only actual programmes would probably be Only Fools in 1985, 'stEnders in 1986, Harry Potter on Radio 4 in 2000 and Who in 2005.

In the early seventies you used to get photo covers quite a lot but they would just be BBC stars in general, The Two Ronnies were on the cover in 1971 and Mike Yarwood in 1978 but they were more promoting the whole season than just their shows. A choirboy in 1989 was ostensibly promoting Carols From Kings (last ever photo cover, fact fans) but was just a nice picture really, same with Wallace and Gromit in 2008 and 2010 (especially as they were only on in repeat form in 2010) and the same this year I think, it is a "nice" picture first - especially as they have the free book offer - and a C4 show second.

Anyway, on Christmas Day it's nine BBC choices to two ITV, and one of those is Paul O'Grady.

One show I worry about is Mrs Brown. The Eve episode is well trailed but will people realise Boxing Day is the second part not a repeat? Ditto on New Years Day for the new series?

I know you're suggesting Christmas on the Beeb is full of "filler" but I'm pretty sure nobody will think 9.30 on Boxing Day will be the slot for a repeat. And given BBC2, ITV and C4 are all well into lengthy films and dramas at 9.30, it'll have a captive audience.